Rhubarb Meat Stew
Julia Shanks is a consultant for restaurants, farms and food producers. Brett Grohsgal has done every job in the kitchen from line cook to executive chef. He now runs an organic farm supplying restaurants, grocery stores, universities and farmers markets.
- Prep 6 hours
- Servings 4
Ingredients
- 680 grams (1½ pounds) cubed stew meat, either beef or lamb
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 59 ml (4 tablespoons) olive oil
- 8 stalks of rhubarb, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) turmeric
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground coriander
- 1.2 ml (¼ teaspoon) crumbled saffron
- 473 ml (2 cups) chicken stock, broth or water
- 473 ml (2 cups) chopped parsley
- 237 ml (1 cup) chopped mint
- 30-44 ml (2-3 tablespoons) sugar, or to taste
- Cooked basmati rice, for serving
- Sour cream or plain yogurt, for serving (optional)
Preparation
1. Follow your sous vide instructions and set up a water bath at 65°C (149°F) for lamb or 61°C (141°F) for beef.
2. Season meat with salt and pepper.
3. In a large skillet, heat 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of the oil and brown meat on all sides. Remove meat from pan, put in a 4 liter (1 gallon) sized zip-lock bag, and set aside. To the meat pan, add the remaining 30 ml (2 tablespoons) oil and the rhubarb and onion; sauté until soft. Add turmeric, coriander, and saffron. Add chicken stock, mix well and turn off heat. Stir in 355 ml (1 ½ cups) of the parsley, 177 ml (¾ cup) of the mint (saving the rest for garnish), and the sugar. Pour this broth into the bag to cover the meat.
4. While the bag is still open, gently place it in the sous vide bath up to the seal. This displaces all the air, at which point you can seal the bag, creating enough of a vacuum seal without using expensive equipment. If you have a vacuum sealer, you can do that instead. Make sure the bag, once sealed, is fully submerged in the water.
5. Cook in the sous vide for 6 hours. Be sure to check on the water level every few hours to make sure it hasn’t evaporated and the meat is still fully submerged.
6. Remove the stew from the sous vide and transfer the contents to a serving dish. Adjust the seasoning with extra sugar and salt, as desired. Garnish with remaining herbs. Serve warm with basmati rice and, if desired, sour cream or plain yogurt.
Julia Shanks and Brett Grohsgal
Julia Shanks has honed her culinary talents working in restaurants around the country, developing a taste for fresh, local and seasonal foods. She consults with restaurants, farms and food producers, helping them maximize profits and streamline revenues through sustainable business practices.
Brett Grohsgal worked as everything from line cook to executive chef while developing and sharing his appreciation for artisanal, seasonal foods. Now he runs Even’ Star Organic Farm, growing and harvesting crops year-round for restaurants, grocery stores, universities, farmers markets, and the farm’s own successful CSA.
Courtesy photo
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